


The Wrong Foot

by Sokkas_First_Fangirl



Category: A Goofy Movie (1995), Animaniacs
Genre: Alternate Universe - Royalty, Attempt at Humor, Birthday Party, Costume Parties & Masquerades, Dancing, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, Falling In Love, First Meetings, Fluff, Fluff and Humor, Happy Ending, Intrigue, M/M, Meet-Ugly, Parties, Politics, Swordfighting, Tags May Change, The Author Regrets Nothing
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-12
Updated: 2021-03-07
Packaged: 2021-03-12 13:27:12
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 12,010
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29385546
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sokkas_First_Fangirl/pseuds/Sokkas_First_Fangirl
Summary: Arranged marriages were not Max’s idea of a good time.Okay, maybe he was jumping the gun a bit. No one was engaged yet.*As King Mickey's godson, Max is invited to Warnerstock to celebrate Prince Yakko's sixteenth birthday and, along with many others, he's expected to try and court the zany little royal. It's not his idea of a good time.Luckily, Yakko agrees.Unluckily, Max makes a terrible first impression.(Otherwise known as: Max makes an idiot of himself, Yakko is amused at his expense and they both think the other is a brat. But with romantic settings and pushy siblings, they may just get a happy ending after all)
Relationships: Angelina Warner/William Warner, Dot Warner & Wakko Warner & Yakko Warner, Max Goof & Goofy, Max Goof & P.J. Pete, Max Goof/Yakko Warner, The Brain & Pinky & Dot Warner & Wakko Warner & Yakko Warner
Comments: 146
Kudos: 126





	1. The Arrival

**Author's Note:**

> I just really like royal AUs, and last time I wrote about Max and Yakko I gave them a meet-cute, so it only seems fair I balance that out by having Max make an idiot of himself

_“This is not my idea (this isn't my idea) of fun.”_ \- This Is My Idea, Swan Princess

  
  
  


Arranged marriages were not Max’s idea of a good time. 

Okay, maybe he was jumping the gun a bit. No one was engaged yet, but as King Mickey’s godson Max had been invited to Warnerstock personally. Everyone, even Goofy who usually didn’t care about these things, acknowledged that Max was in with a very good shot.

A very good shot of what exactly? Oh, nothing much, just signing his life over.

Otherwise known as securing an engagement to Prince Yakko Warner. _No thanks._ Max was seventeen, he had no intention of settling down any time soon, and from what he’d heard neither did Prince Yakko.

But he’d been invited, on personal invitation from King William, so he had to go as Mickey patiently pointed out.

  
  
  
  
  
  


“You’re _kidding_ me!” Max had cried, back in Mickey’s throne room. “No way!”

“Prince Yakko is about to turn sixteen,” Mickey said. “No one’s seriously expecting him to get married yet- or even engaged. It’s just a formality, Maxy, a tradition; he’s just supposed to meet everyone and see if he likes anyone. Nothing formal or serious will be agreed; it’s just to introduce him now that he’s going to be of age.”

“But- _me?_ ” Max sputtered. “I’m not even a prince!”

“You’re my godson,” Mickey said with a shrug. “William wrote himself to invite you.”

“It could be fun, Maxy!” Goofy said. “It’s a bunch of parties and balls.”

“It’s dumb,” Max said flatly. “Especially if Prince Yakko doesn’t even wanna go along with it.”

Be that as it may, all the adults agreed that Max was going to go. 

At least he got to bring PJ.

That was how he found himself on a ship bound for Warnerstock, joined by his dad, PJ, and a small group of guards and servants.

This was a waste of time, Max was sure of it. He didn’t want to go and pretend to court some prince he’d never met, and all he’d heard was that Prince Yakko was causing mayhem, pranking every suitor that turned up and declaring them boring, before promptly ignoring them.

He didn’t fancy travelling across an ocean just to get pranked.

Evidently, what Max wanted didn’t matter.

  
  
  
  
  
  


Warnerstock was beautiful, Max had to admit. They docked in a lovely seaside town; it was the middle of summer and bright yellow banners flew high. Flowers were tied to lamposts, the sun shone high in the sky. Everywhere he looked, people seemed to be smiling.

It was a beautiful, happy place, and his own mood darkened as they made their way to Acme Falls.

PJ pointed out historical landmarks, Goofy sang and cracked jokes, but Max couldn’t bring himself to join in.

This was all so _stupid._ Had they seriously come all this way just so Max could make an ass of himself? At least there’d be plenty of parties to distract himself with, he supposed. Though no doubt, they'd be what he'd dubbed _grown-up parties._ Parties about schmoozing and pretending to get along.

Politics, Max was sure, were a big waste of time. Especially when the politics involved feigning an interest in some random prince, who doubtless wasn’t eager to meet Max either.

It took two days of travel to arrive in Acme Falls. By the time they reached the city, Max was completely out of patience. He rode on his horse, scowling, a dark cloud over his head that Goofy tried to wave away.

“Jeez, Maxy, any more pouting and that thing’ll start raining,” Goofy warned.

“I don’t care,” Max snapped. Goofy sighed and finally succeeded in waving the cloud away.

“It’s just saying hello and a few parties,” Goofy said, giving him a wry smile. “You _like_ parties.”

“And if I don’t fawn all over this guy then I’ll land Mickey in trouble,” Max pointed out.

“So just act nice,” PJ said. “Smile and nod, and it’ll be over with.”

Max threw his head back and groaned in frustration.

Yes, he liked parties, but he didn’t like these grown-up formal events where there was nothing to do but sit around and listen to people talk about politics. He didn’t exactly relish the idea of arriving only to be pranked by Yakko- or worse, Yakko _and_ his siblings.

Yakko’s birthday was in a week. They were some of the last to arrive.

They rode through the gate, the guards bowing to them. A particularly helpful pair directed them to the stables.

Max had just climbed down off his horse when there was a gleeful shout and another horse came galloping into the stables, barely stopping before running Max and the stable-hand over. 

Max jerked back as the horse skidded to a halt in front of him, tripped over a bucket and crashed right into the wall, landing on his rump in the hay. The stable-hand, meanwhile, had jumped out of the way with what could only be practiced precision.

“Sorry!” the horse rider laughed. He jumped down off his horse with a flourish. He was a toon like Max- and yet _not_ like Max at all. Max wasn’t sure what this kid was supposed to be. A puppy? A rabbit? Some weird cat?

He was tiny, only standing as tall as Max’s chin. His fur was inky black, white on his face; his nose was bright red, his eyes were black. His clothes- a pair of brown slacks and a deep green riding jacket- were mud-spattered and dust clung to his fur. He looked at Max and laughed again.

“My bad,” the boy said, still chuckling.

Whatever was left of Max’s patience promptly vanished.

“Yeah, _your_ bad,” he snapped. He hauled himself up and picked strands of hay from his hair and off his clothes. His dad and PJ entered the stables; behind them two more toons hurried in on horses, miniature versions of the boy. They were also covered in mud and dust, their fur standing on end.

The boy quirked an eyebrow, hands on his skinny hips.

“Jeez, it’s just hay,” he said. “No harm done.”

“That’s what you think,” Max said. He glared down at him. The boy just stared back unimpressed. “Watch where you’re going, would you? You could have ridden me down!”

“Next time I won’t miss,” the boy said flatly. He dusted down his slacks (not that it did much good) and looked at the gaping stable-hand. “You okay?” he asked, much more kindly.

“I- yes, Your-”

The boy’s eyes narrowed. The stable hand said, “Yes, sir.”

The other two toons (the boy’s siblings, Max assumed) climbed down off their own horses, looking at Max with narrowed eyes, clearly unimpressed.

The boy looked Max up and down, then glanced at PJ and Goofy. He spotted Mickey’s insignia on Goofy’s jacket and there was a flash of understanding in his eyes.

“Oh,” he drawled. “Here to pay court to the prince, hm?”

“Sadly,” Max snarked.

_“Hey!”_ the younger toon boy protested. He had the oddest accent. “You’d be lucky if he looked twice at you!”

The girl promptly pulled out a mallet.

“Maxy, be nice!” Goofy ordered.

_“Sadly,”_ the toon boy drawled, sarcasm practically radiating from him. “Don’t worry, buddy, I don’t think he’ll be thrilled with you either.”

“Hey,” PJ spoke up, though quietly. He gave the girl and her mallet a wary glance.

The stable-hand looked like he wished he was anywhere else.

“And I suppose you’d know?” Max asked, copying the boy’s tone and stance.

The boy smirked, amusement glinting in his dark eyes.

“I’d know pretty well,” he said.

“Are you Prince Yakko’s servant?” PJ asked.

There was a moment’s pause before the girl began to laugh. Wrong-footed, Max stepped back, looking at her in bewilderment. The younger boy clapped his hands over his mouth, snickering.

But the older boy grinned brightly. He tapped his nose at PJ. “Oh, wouldn’t you like to know?” He took his siblings by the shoulders and steered them towards the door. “Come on, sibs.” His voice wavered as he fought back laughter. “Let’s go-” He snickered. _“Attend to the prince.”_

The three of them cackled as they walked away.

Max was left with the horrible feeling that he was missing something. _Was_ that boy one of Yakko’s attendants? If so, he was no doubt going to tell the prince that Max had snapped at him.

_Great,_ Max thought. He began to pull the hay from his hair and clothes again. _Just great._

  
  
  
  
  
  


They were escorted to their rooms and allowed to bathe and change before being brought to meet Queen Angelina and King William.

They met in the throne room, a large room with a high-ceiling; a long blue carpet ran from the doors to the matching thrones. Blue and gold banners hung from the walls and a large banner of the Warner crest was behind the thrones. 

Angelina and William smiled at them; she was in a purple gown and as beautiful as he’d always heard. William’s eyebrows and moustache had grown grey, but his smile was warm and welcoming; his red robes were immaculate.

Then the doors opened and, quite plainly, _things went to hell._

Three toons walked in, escorted by guards. Max took one look at them and wanted the floor to open up and swallow him as understanding crashed down on him.

The smaller toons led the way; the girl was in a shimmering pink dress and a diamond tiara. She took one look at Max and gave him a mean little smirk, her pretty dark eyes narrowing. She was arm in arm with a boy in a red cap and dark blue suit; his tongue poked out but the look he shot Max screamed _trouble._ The kids from the stables. _It was the kids from the stables._

_Oh no,_ was his only coherent thought.

And right behind them, head held high, a glittering coronet on his head, the Warner badge pinned to his chest and dressed immaculately in green and gold was-

_“You?”_ Max burst out. PJ gave a horrified groan. Even Goofy looked worried, cringing back as the trio- _as the Warner siblings-_ approached.

The boy from the stables, Crown Prince Yakko Warner, gave Max an absolutely vicious smile.

“Duke Max Goof, isn’t it?” he asked, all false sweetness. His bow was mocking, his eyes sparkled with absolute mischief. “Prince Yakko Warner.”


	2. Prince Yakko

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Max has only just arrived and he's already on Yakko's bad side. At least the princess from Ticktockia seems to annoy him even more.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *banging pots and pans* I'm Yax trash, I'm Yax trash, I'm Yax trash

_“At the same time, I wanna hug you, I wanna wrap my hands around your neck.”_ \- True Love, P!NK

  
  
  


Max wasn’t normally one for swearing, but his thoughts pretty much consisted of _Fuck_ and _Shit_ right now.

He was in such deep shit. That annoying brat from the stables was Prince Yakko. The very one Max was here to make nice with, and Max had already pissed him off.

Mickey was going to be so disappointed in him.

Yakko’s eyes glinted with vicious amusement, but he was all sweetness when he smiled at his parents. “We met earlier, Mom, Dad,” he said. “In the stables.”

“Oh, isn’t that sweet?” Angelina said. She looked so hopeful. She had no idea what Max had said to her son; she had no idea that, doubtless, Yakko was plotting a bloody and terrible vengeance. 

But maybe Max was overreacting. Maybe Yakko didn’t have anything planned; maybe he’d just ignore Max from now on.

Feeling incredibly foolish, Max bowed and murmured, “Your Highness.”

Yakko only stared at him. Goofy was wringing his hands. Biting back a sigh, Max held his hand out.

Yakko kept staring at him, everything about him screaming _Unimpressed._ Wakko and Dot snickered. Angelina’s smile slipped, a little concerned now.

Max gave Yakko a pleading look. Yakko put his hands on his hips.

William coughed pointedly.

Sighing, Yakko held his hand out. Swallowing his pride, Max kissed it. Yakko snatched his hand back pretty quickly, his nose wrinkled in distaste. At least he didn’t wipe his hand on his clothes or shudder. He wasn’t being dramatic about it.

All the same, it was obvious to Max that he wasn’t happy.

“Welcome to Warnerstock,” Yakko said. He swept past and rejoined his siblings.

“Thank you,” Max said through gritted teeth.

“Gosh, you’ve a beautiful country,” Goofy said to William and Angelina, in an attempt to break the ice. Angelina tore her curious gaze away from Max to smile at Goofy.

“Thank you, Your Grace,” she said. “And how is King Mickey?”

The adults made small talk. The royal siblings took their seats next to their parents, leaving Max and PJ standing behind Goofy.

“I’m dead,” Max whispered to PJ. “I’m _so_ dead.”

PJ didn’t argue. He nodded solemnly, looking at Max like he expected Max to drop dead at any second. “Can I have your carriage?” he asked.

“Sure thing.”

Yakko looked at him and grinned sharply, fangs on display. Princess Dot ran her finger across her throat, smiling sweetly, while Prince Wakko punched his fist against his open palm, smirking at him.

Max, in a show of bravery, promptly ducked behind PJ.

  
  
  
  
  
  


The next half-hour _dragged._ Max knew he was expected to try and talk to Yakko, but he didn’t dare. What was he supposed to say exactly? _“Sorry for acting like an ass.”_

Okay, he should apologise, he knew that. Just not in front of the King and Queen, he’d rather not explain it all to them. As much as Max wanted to go home, he didn’t want to be responsible for them getting kicked out. 

God, Mickey was going to give him those big sad eyes. He wouldn’t _say_ anything, but Max would _know._ He’d _sense_ the disappointment and that was somehow worse.

He was snapped out of it when there was a fanfare of trumpets and a servant announced a new arrival.

“Her Highness, Princess Sylvia of Ticktockia and His Majesty, King Salazar of Ticktockia.”

Yakko groaned loudly, slouching in his seat. Wakko tugged on his ears and Dot growled. Even Angelina and William stopped smiling in welcome. Goofy rolled his eyes, and PJ was instantly on guard.

As for Max, he was beginning to wish he’d brought his sword to this meeting.

Ticktockia. Everyone knew they’d only been invited as a formality, even Max knew that. No one actually _wanted_ them here. King Salazar The Pushy was an out-and-out _ass._ He had very few allies; come to think of it, Max wasn’t actually sure he had any at all.

But what Max _did_ know was that Salazar wasn’t friendly with the Warners. He pushed at their borders, he looked down on toons of all types. And his cousin, Princess Sylvia, his only heir and living relative, was rumoured to be exactly like him.

No one seriously expected them to show up.

Princess Sylvia walked in on her cousin’s arm. They had the same wavy brown hair, they were both tall. Salazar walked with his head held high, his crown polished so brightly it almost glowed. His sword was strapped to his hip; a clock pin held his long red cloak in place. Princess Sylvia’s hair was intricately styled; her tiara was engraved with clock symbols, her long red dress trailed behind her.

“King Salazar,” Angelina said, her voice strained. “How...Lovely of you to come.”

“I couldn’t pass up such a prestigious invitation,” Salazar said. He bowed, but the whole thing felt mocking. His eyes passed over everyone else and zeroed in on Yakko. “Coming of age is an important event, especially for a young heir.”

It was like all the joy had been sucked from the room. The Warner siblings had been pulling faces and poking at each other, but now they sat perfectly still. Yakko folded his hands in his lap, head held high, eyes narrowed. Even Goofy looked serious, eyeing Salazar and Sylvia warily.

William’s tiny sigh was barely audible, but Max could hear the reluctance in his voice as he quietly said, “Yakko, greet our guests.”

Yakko stood and, for the first time, Max was struck by something _majestic_ about him. He walked like a prince, everything about his posture was perfect; all eyes were on him and there wasn’t even a trace of a smile on his face now. 

He swept down the dais, barely masking his distaste as he stopped in front of Sylvia.

“Your Highness,” he said. “Thank you for coming.”

Sylvia looked blatantly surprised, looking Yakko up and down with wide eyes.

“Well,” she said. “You’re actually...kind of cute for a toon.”

Dot growled again, gripping the arms of her throne. Wakko scoffed, not bothering to hide it. Angelina’s eyes narrowed, while William tapped his knees impatiently.

“Classy,” PJ muttered.

Huh. Maybe Max wasn’t making the worst impression out of everyone after all.

Yakko just stared at Sylvia with raised eyebrows. “Yeah,” he said flatly. “I’m just full of surprises like that.”

Sylvia held her hand out. Yakko looked at it, smiled and (Max had to bite back a laugh) pranced back to his seat.

“How rude,” Salazar grumbled. 

“We’ll have the servants show you to your chambers,” William said.

  
  
  
  
  
  


“I can’t believe they actually showed up!” PJ said. “They never usually do!”

“I can’t really believe it either,” Max admitted, rubbing the back of his neck. That was something to puzzle out. Did Salazar seriously think his cousin was in with a chance?

At least Sylvia seemed to annoy Yakko more than Max had. The prince had looked at her like she was a particularly annoying pest.

Well, she _had_ spent the whole meeting bragging about herself and Ticktockia’s clock trade. It had nearly put Goofy to sleep.

Ahead of them, the Warner siblings were walking arm in arm. Dot was loudly complaining about Sylvia and her “ugly dress and tacky hairstyle.” Frankly, Max hadn’t seen anything wrong with the Princess’s appearance, but clearly Dot had taken offence about _everything_ to do with Sylvia. 

Yakko was nodding along like his little sister was speaking words of great wisdom.

“Tell me about it,” he said. “Was that meant to be _charming?_ ”

“You’re too good for her,” Dot said, nose in the air.

PJ nudged him, nodding towards the siblings. Swallowing, Max hurried after them.

“Hey!” he called. “Er, Prince Yakko?”

The three stopped and simultaneously turned to stare at him. Their arms were still linked.

“Yeah?” Yakko asked.

“I- look, I’m sorry about earlier,” Max said. “I didn’t know who you were.”

“So you regularly talk to servants like that?” Yakko asked, eyes narrowed.

“ _No!_ No, I just- I didn’t wanna be here-”

“Wow, could have fooled me.”

“And I took it out on you,” Max finished. He could feel himself flushing under Yakko’s unimpressed gaze. “That, uh...It wasn’t fair. So, I’m sorry.”

Yakko stared at him. Behind Max, PJ was holding his breath.

Next thing Max knew, he was flattened on the ground by a mallet.

“Son of a-!” 

“Ah, ah, keep it kid friendly,” Yakko drawled. He twirled the mallet like a baton, grinning down at Max. 

“You-! I _apologised,_ ” Max groaned, un-flattening himself and crawling back to his feet. He rubbed the lump on his head.

“And I don’t accept,” Yakko said cheerfully. “You didn’t think you were getting off _that_ easily, did you?”

“Are you _kidding_ me?”

“Deadly serious. See you later, Goof,” Yakko said, linking arms with his siblings again. He glanced over his shoulder at Max and winked. “You old stick in the mud.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> At least Yakko has someone who annoys him more than Max does, even if Max isn't getting off easily 😅


	3. Preparations

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Yakko and his siblings prepare for the first dance, with some help from Pinky and Brain.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A bit of filler and sibling chill-time. Dot is the only one who knows what she's doing

_“So you say I'm complicated, that I must be out my mind, but you've had me underrated.”_ \- Confident, Demi Lovato

  
  
  


“He’s gonna kill me,” Max said, flopping onto his bed. “He’s gonna stuff me in a trunk and then throw the trunk in the river.”

“Getting kind of dark there, Maxy,” Goofy said.

“The look he gave me was _feral,_ Dad!”

“Please don’t call the crown prince ‘feral,” PJ sighed.

“He’s feral,” Max said firmly. “You saw him!”

PJ considered this, twiddling his thumbs. “Okay,” he said. “He definitely doesn’t like you.”

“So we should go home,” Max said, throwing Goofy a pleading glance. 

Goofy smiled in sympathy. “Sorry, buddy,” he said. “We can’t leave until Prince Yakko’s birthday party is over.”

“But that’s a whole _week_ away!”

“Yup!” Goofy said. “So you got a week to apologise!”

“He hit me with a mallet when I apologised.”

“Aw, your mom used to do that to courtiers!”

“Dad. No.”

  
  
  
  
  
  


“I don’t suppose you’ve met anyone impressive yet?” Brain asked, not glancing up from his book.

“Nope,” Yakko said. “They’re all sticks in the mud.” His nose wrinkled. “And no way would I wanna hang around Princess Sylvia.”

“Hm, I have to admit I’m surprised they showed up.”

“Honestly? Think we all are.”

“How about this one?” Pinky hurried out of the walk-in wardrobe, trailing a shirt behind him; it was light blue with sheer sleeves and silver embroidery.

“Uuuhhh, maybe…” Yakko nudged it with his foot.

“Too light and airy,” Dot said. “It makes you look even younger.”

Yakko shrugged, not particularly caring, but trusting his sister’s judgement.

“Sorry, Pinky,” he said. Pinky nodded, tossed the shirt aside and ran back into the wardrobe.

“The Prince from Anvilania?” Brain asked. “Or his cousin, the Duke?”

“They’re _boring._ All they talked about was the history between Anvilania and Warnerstock- as if I don’t know it all!”

“You wrote three songs about it,” Wakko piped up. He was tossing peanuts in the air and catching them in his mouth with expert ease. 

“Good songs too, if I say so myself,” Yakko said, preening. Dot shoved him off the bed.

Pinky came running back with a long purple jacket with black lining around the hem. 

“This one?” he asked.

“Too casual,” Dot said, waving a hand in dismissal. Yakko sighed as he hauled himself back onto his bed, glancing at the jewellery box on the vanity, but Dot refused to even _glance_ at any accessories until she’d picked “the perfect outfit.” She’d even dismissed all their servants for the night, proclaiming she knew just what she was doing.

Pinky happily volunteered to go through Yakko’s things with her. It quickly turned into Pinky fetching each and every article of clothing Yakko owned while Dot yay'ed or nay'ed it.

“You know what?” Dot said. “Focus on things in blue and gold. Warner colours; we should make a statement.”

“It’s not too _cliche?_ ” Yakko snarked, throwing her own words from an hour ago back at her.

“It’s classic,” Dot said, who had thrown one of Yakko’s favourite blue and gold shirts across the room when Yakko said he wanted to wear it.

Yakko groaned and flopped onto his back. Brain hummed in quiet amusement. 

“Pass the peanuts, bro,” Yakko said, holding his hand out. Wakko dutifully gave him a handful.

“So,” Brain said. “There’s really no one that’s caught your interest?” He sounded uncaring, but Yakko knew him well enough to see the concern in his eyes.

“A lot of them talk to me like I’m stupid,” Yakko said, scowling. “They talk down to me.”

Brain frowned, ears twitching in annoyance.

“Imbeciles,” he muttered.

“I like having fun,” Yakko said, frowning at the ceiling. “That doesn’t make me _dumb._ I bet I’m smarter than most of them!”

“Smarter than _all_ of them,” Wakko said, rolling onto his side to poke Yakko on the head. 

Yakko smiled, ruffling Wakko’s fur. “Thanks, baby bro.”

“He’s quite right,” Brain said, setting his book aside at last. “You’re incredibly clever. But perhaps being underestimated will work in your favour.”

“Yeah?”

“Indeed. You can get the true measure of someone by how they treat those they consider…” His nose wrinkled in distaste. “Inferior. Many of them have heard of your reputation and have written you off as a trouble maker.”

“By your own logic, the whole ‘inferior’ thing would make _you_ a real jerk, Brain.”

“Perhaps, but at least I am honest about it.”

Well, he was right about that.

Yakko had to admit, not all of them had been jerks; some of them had been nice. But most of them were just _dull,_ all stiff upper-lip and proper. Yakko didn’t have a thing to say to them, and didn’t much care what they had to say either.

At least this was going to be a full week of parties and events, and then to top it all off there was his birthday to look forward to and _that_ was always fun.

“How about the Duke from Fantasia?” Brain asked. “He arrived just before Princess Sylvia, didn’t he?”

“Oh, him.” A sly grin crossed Yakko’s face. “He’s my new _special friend._ ”

“Oh dear. That bad, hm?”

“Yup.”

“Perfect!” Dot suddenly cried, clapping. She jumped off the bed and took the latest shirt from Pinky, holding it up for Yakko’s inspection; a deep sapphire-blue jacket with a swirling gold pattern and a plain white shirt to go underneath, with a white ruffled neck-tie and matching blue pants.

“Sure,” Yakko said with a shrug. “You know best, sis.”

Dot smiled, setting the clothes aside and pranced to the jewellery box. “And now, boys,” she said dramatically. “We _accessorise._ ”

“We’re gonna be here forever,” Wakko said mournfully. “They’ll find our bones in here.” He looked at Pinky and Brain. “Tell Mum and Dad we love them.”

“Don’t be foolish,” Brain said primly. “If you’re not allowed to leave what makes you think _we_ are?”

“Yakko, you’re wearing your crown, right?” Dot asked. The stern look in her eyes told him he _was_ wearing his crown, whether he liked it or not.

He had the good sense to nod.

“Lovely,” Dot said, smiling sweetly. “I know just the pin to match! You’re gonna dazzle 'em!”

“I’ll leave the dazzling to you, sister-sib,” Yakko said fondly.

“Shush. I’m gonna make you fabulous.”

Just the words to send a shiver of worry than Yakko’s spine, but he trusted her. At the very least, he knew she wouldn’t force him into anything truly uncomfortable.

He glanced at the time and rolled onto his back again. No doubt, Mom and Dad would send someone to fetch them soon, or come looking themselves.

He wondered how late he could get away with being.

  
This was, after all, _his_ week. Yakko was determined to have fun with it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Goofy already ships it  
> Brain doesn't think anyone's good enough for his brat
> 
> Next up, the opening dance 💕


	4. The First Dance

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The first dance of many begins, while Max and Yakko manage to have some fun (and a civil conversation).

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The boys make a small step forward
> 
> Ages:  
> Yakko: 15, nearly 16  
> Wakko: 12, soon to be 13  
> Dot: 11  
> Max: 16, nearly 17  
> Princess Sylvia: 18  
> Prince Henry of Anvilania: 17  
> Duke Peter of Anvilania: 19 (truly only here to keep his cousin company and because he has to be; not the same abelist Duke from One Hope Then Another)  
> Lucy and Darcy: 15 (yep, they're here too!)

_“And when we go crashing down, we come back every time, ‘cause we never go out of style, we never go out of style.”_ \- Style, Taylor Swift

  
  
  


As was tradition, the guests arrived first. They lined the walls of the ballroom, while the Warnerstock nobility stood near the dais. Max shifted uncomfortably, tugging on the tight collar of his shirt. Next to him, PJ looked ten times more uncomfortable; he seemed to be trying to disappear into the wall. Goofy alone seemed at ease, chatting with one of the Anvilanian ambassadors. 

Everyone seemed to be gossiping or talking about politics, and it just wasn’t Max’s forte. He’d rather be outside, horse-riding, or with his friends making music. 

He didn’t feel like he belonged here. Bad start aside, he was uncomfortable for a whole host of reasons.

Across the room, Princess Sylvia stood with three of her ladies, King Salazar and his small entourage. She was peering around the room curiously, and for a moment Max thought she...Well, that she looked like a normal eighteen-year-old girl, smiling and sweet. 

Then she caught his eye and her pretty face contorted into a sneer. She scoffed and turned away.

Max scowled, leaning against the wall with PJ. Right, he’d almost forgotten she hated toons.

Finally, the Warners were announced.

There was a fanfare of trumpets and the massive double-doors were pulled open. Queen Angelina led the way with Yakko on her arm, another tradition; after all, this was _her_ country, she was the Warner by blood (something Max knew people like Salazar tended to forget) and Queen in her own right. William followed just behind, with Wakko and Dot on each of his arms. William’s eyes shone with pride; he walked with his shoulders back, chin up, his crown on his head.

You never would have known he was on death’s door a few years ago, Max thought.

Angelina led the way to the dais. Every move graceful and precise, she turned to face the room with a welcoming smile.

“Thank you all for coming,” she said. “I know many of you have travelled a long way to be here, and we are honoured by your presence.” Max couldn’t help but glance at the Ticktockians, but Angelina’s smile never wavered, her gaze never went to them. Instead, she looked fondly at her eldest. “And I believe you are waiting to hear a few words from our heir.”

Yakko rolled his eyes, smiling at her. He stepped forward, standing as tall as he could (which wasn’t much). He looked at everyone with a sparkle of amusement in his eyes, like some big joke was about to be revealed.

Gone were the dusty clothes from the stables. Even his clothes from that afternoon looked shabby in comparison now; he was dressed in blue and gold, a beautiful crown on his head, a brooch of the Warner symbol keeping his neck-tie in place.

It amazed Max that someone so troublesome could look so...So…

Ugh, he was _not_ going there. Yakko _didn’t_ look good, nope, no siree. 

(Okay, so he looked good, but Max wasn’t fooled for a second.)

He listened with half an ear as Yakko welcomed everyone, doing his best not to fidget now that the Warners were here. 

Finally, Yakko grinned and, with a careless shrug he finished; “Let’s party!”

  
  
  
  
  
  


There was a _lot_ of dancing. Yakko loved it.

He danced with his mom first, to start the whole party- yet another tradition, but one he enjoyed- and then his dad, then Wakko, then Dot; then Wakko _and_ Dot at the same time.

After that though, he was expected to dance with their guests, which was decidedly _less_ fun.

Okay, if he was fair, some of these people were actually quite funny. One of the ladies from Burbank, a dog-toon named Darcy, cracked a joke about Scratchy’s terrible toupe, which had Yakko laughing out loud (to be fair, it _did_ look like something had died on Scratchy’s head) while her twin, Lucy, quietly said she thought Yakko and his siblings were very sweet.

They were nice. They were sweet, and funny. 

Yakko glanced to the side and saw Dot dancing with Skippy. Wakko, the lucky little toon, was dancing with Nurse and looked utterly delighted. Yakko couldn’t blame him.

The Prince of Anvilania, Henry, told him he looked nice. His cousin the Duke, Peter, barely spoke. Yakko made sure to stomp on his feet.

It was non-stop, but that was how Yakko liked it. He even spotted Pinky drag Brain into a dance and rushed over to join in, though it was basically Yakko spinning in circles while he held Pinky and Brain on the palms of his hands.

He was taking a break by one of the side tables, eating cake with Wakko and Dot when Princess Sylvia approached.

“Prince Yakko,” she said with a curtsy. Her smile was slightly strained, her gaze still slightly surprised when she looked at him. “You look very, er, handsome.”

Dot scowled at her. Wakko shoved a whole cake into his mouth.

Yakko only gave a small _‘Hm’_ of acknowledgement. She looked at him expectantly; smiling, he turned away. Dot giggled behind her hand.

After a moment of hovering, Sylvia sighed impatiently.

“Perhaps we can dance,” she said pointedly. “And get to know each other.”

“Oh, thanks,” Yakko said. “But I already promised I’d dance with-” He grabbed the next person to pass by. “This guy!”

He looked and his forced smile dropped; he’d grabbed Max Goof.

_Damn it._

Max blinked in bewilderment, looking at Yakko’s hands on his arm like he wasn’t sure what they were.

“Uh- hi?” Max said.

“We’re dancing,” Yakko told him.

“Huh?”

_“We’re dancing.”_ Yakko dragged him away, ignoring Max’s hissed protests and how the other toon kept trying to pull away.

“Maybe later?” Sylvia called with false cheer.

“A _lot_ later,” Yakko muttered, ignoring how Salazar glared at him. He could hear Wakko and Dot laughing.

“What are you doing?” Max demanded.

“Getting away from the toon-hating princess, _duh._ ” Yakko stopped in the middle of the dance floor and, rolling his eyes, forced Max into position. Max, upon realising his hands were now on Yakko’s waist, promptly went red.

“And why am _I_ here?” Max asked. If Yakko was to give him any credit, he at least started dancing, though he kept looking at his hands on Yakko’s waist with wide eyes.

Yakko shrugged. “You were the first one to walk past.”

“...I’m flattered.”

“Oh because you _wanted_ to dance with me? Pretty sure you’ve been avoiding me all evening anyway- or am I wrong?” Yakko asked, quirking an eyebrow. Max shrugged sullenly, still rather red.

“Well, when you put it like that I sound like-”

“A jerk?”

“Takes one to know one,” Max muttered.

Yakko sighed heavily, stepping on Max’s foot. “You’re a real charmer, Goof.”

“Right back at you,” Max said.

They danced in silence. Yakko’s parents were dancing, they’d been dancing almost non-stop and they looked at each other with stars in their eyes.

Yakko sighed again, watching them. He had the distinct impression he wasn’t going to find anything like that here. 

He looked back to Max, only to find him watching Angelina and William too.

“I thought everyone was exaggerating,” Max said quietly. “How in love your parents are.”

Yakko smiled despite himself. “Never,” he said. “They’re a fairytale come to life.”

Slowly, Max smiled. “They sure look like it.”

“They first got together at one of these parties,” Yakko said, grinning in earnest now. If there was one story he loved, it was this one. “Dad was still a squire; he was meant to be guarding Mom.”

Max chuckled, shaking his head. “Okay, that’s pretty sweet.”

“Yeah…” Yakko shrugged. “They ended up in a broom closet.”

_“Oh my god.”_ Max threw his head back, laughing loudly. He gave a _“Hyuk!”_ and clapped his hand over his mouth, going bright red again.

Yakko just grinned at him. “Yeah, they don’t know I know that part.”

At the end of the dance, Max bowed. His smile was a little awkward and he stood with his hands in his pockets, slightly slouching. 

“I...Look, I really _am_ sorry,” he said. Yakko stared at him, wondering if he really meant it. He seemed sincere- he also seemed like a high-strung, smug jerk.

He needed to lighten up.

“I believe you,” Yakko said. He winked at Max and added, “But I’ll still be having fun with this, you’re _far_ too easy.”

“You’re a brat,” Max told him flatly.

“Takes one to know one.” Yakko slapped him on the shoulder, cheerfully pushed Max towards Lady Darcy and hurried away to ask Nurse to dance, calling over his shoulder, “See ya, Mr Stick-In-The-Mud!”

“Quit calling me that!”

  
  
  
  
  
  


“That wasn’t so bad, huh?” Goofy asked as they, at long last, made their way to bed. “You even danced with him! You talked!” His eyes were glittering with excitement.

“About Queen Angelina and King William,” Max told him. 

“But it went well, right?”

Max thought it over and shrugged, rubbing the back of his neck. “Well, there were no mallets,” he acquiesced. He scowled and was quick to add, “He’s still a smug brat.”

PJ rolled his eyes and all but shoved him into their shared room. 

  
  
  
  
  
  


As Yakko got ready for bed, William poked his head around the door.

“There’s the man of the hour,” William said fondly. He ruffled Yakko’s fur; on instinct, Yakko pressed up against his hand. “Have fun, Yak?”

“Yeah,” Yakko said. “It was more fun than I thought.”

“And no mallets or explosions! I’m impressed.” William’s smile had a knowing edge. “Anyone you like?”

Yakko’s nose wrinkled. “Not really; not the way you’re thinking.”

“Well, you never know, son. After all, your mom and I met at her coming of age!”

_Yep, and you ended up in a broom closet and had to bribe Scratchy not to tell Grandma._

But William didn’t need to know that Yakko knew that, so Yakko just nodded and said, “I know.”

“Busy week ahead,” William said. “So I expect you to at least _try_ to sleep.” William hugged him, momentarily lifting Yakko right up and headed for the door. He paused, holding the handle.

“Remember, Yak, no one seriously expects you to find your future spouse here,” William added gently. “But you _do_ have to take this seriously.”

With that, he was gone.

Yakko waited until he heard the doors to William and Angelina’s room close, and then hurried next door to Wakko’s room, where he and Dot had gathered plates and bowls of desserts.

Sleep, Yakko had always said, was for the weak. If you asked him, the night was still young.

He still had hours with his siblings to look forward to, with all the snacks and games that they loved, and that was _always_ the best part. After hours and hours of behaving, it was just the three of them, free to do what they pleased.

When he walked in, Wakko already had his face buried in a huge bowl of ice-cream, while Dot was slapping him with a pillow.

“Don’t be so disgusting!” she snapped.

Laughing, Yakko ran over and jumped onto the bed, reaching for the nearest plate of cookies.

Yeah, this was always the part he looked forward to the most.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ✨Goofy ships it✨


	5. Off To The Races

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The second event begins; a horse race. Not just a normal race, but an all-toon race where all rules fly out the window.
> 
> And Dot? She has some tricks up her sleeve.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The focus this time is more on the siblings 💕
> 
> Songs I listened to:  
> Trouble, by Neon Jungle  
> Off To The Races, by Lana Del Rey (I dunno, it popped up while I was writing, so I rolled with it)  
> Candyman, by Christina Aguilera (don't ask 😅)  
> I'd Rather Be Me, from Mean Girls: Broadway

__

_“_ _They say, ‘Here comes a hurricane! Trouble is her middle name!’”_ \- Trouble, Neon Jungle

  
  
  


No one was surprised to find the three Warner siblings fast asleep together in Wakko’s bed, practically lying on top of each other. Plates and bowls littered the floor, smeared with remnants of desserts. 

Angelina smiled fondly. Some things never changed. Sometimes, when they were curled up together like this, they looked so tiny and young again. Granted, she knew her children _were_ still young, very young; but times like these, she was sharply reminded of them as toddlers, napping together on any available surface.

She momentarily dismissed the maids and woke them herself, gently shaking them awake. 

“Darlings,” Angelina said. “Time to wake up.”

Dot cracked an eye open and yawned. Yakko rolled onto his side, facing away from her.

“G’way,” he mumbled, pulling the duvet up to his nose. “It’s early.”

Wakko kept sleeping, his ear twitching occasionally as he dreamed. For all that her children never wanted to go to bed, they never wanted to get up either.

“It’s nearly ten, actually,” Angelina said. Biting back a laugh, she went to the windows and pulled the curtains open. Immediately, all of them groaned in protest, turning away from the light.

“Get up, you lazy things,” she chided. She pulled the duvet down, laughing outright when Wakko whined and pulled his hat down over his eyes. Dot kicked out, giving Angelina a look that promised retribution. Yakko, always dramatic, hissed like a cat, his fur bristling.

“Come on,” Angelina said, tugging them into sitting up. “There’s a horse race today, remember?”

That caught their attention. Their ears perked up, their eyes brightened- but when they looked at each other they all deflated as they remembered they’d have to _behave._

“It was kind of Baron Plotz to host,” Angelina said, though she had to admit she had no fondness for the man herself.

“Yeah,” Yakko said, rolling his eyes. “He’s the pinnacle of kindness, old Plotzy.”

“It’ll be fun, little one,” she said.

“The race?” Yakko asked. “Oh, definitely. But if one more person talks to me like I’m stupid-”

“Or calls you little,” Dot added.

“Or calls me little,” Yakko continued. “I’ll-”

“Don’t forget if they brag about themselves,” Wakko said, rubbing at his eyes.

Yakko nodded. “Or if they brag about themselves,” he said, hands on his hips. “I’m breaking out the mallet. And it's only been a _day,_ Mom!”

“At least try to stick to pies, darling,” Angelina said, poking him on the nose. “Now hurry along; your baths are all ready for you.”

  
  
  
  
  
  


Horse races were always fun when toons were involved. Toons meant _tricks._ Toon racers (and toon horses) meant the usual rules went flying out the window- indeed, the laws of science and gravity often went out the window as well.

Angelina and William knew their children well; they needed to be entertained, or they’d lose focus on the race and find their own entertainment. If they did that, disaster would ensue. 

Today was an all-toon race. A human and toon one was planned for later in the week, though on a smaller scale. But today? Today they were on Baron Plotz’s land, by a race track thrown together by toons. The hurdles would have been impossible for humans to jump. There was a pond to jump over, filled with bright orange piranha that jumped insanely high. There was a ring of fire and giant axes swung down from trees.

In other words, it would keep Yakko, Wakko and Dot’s interest. 

“It looks good,” William said, surveying the unusual track with a smile.

“Thank you, Your Majesty,” Plotz said, bowing with his usual smarmy smile. “I hope the prince enjoys himself.”

“Your staff did vell,” Scratchy said, peering around through his thick glasses. “Zey vorked fast.”

Right behind Scratchy, Salazar looked at the scene with barely-concealed shock.

“How...unique,” he said. 

Duke Goofy leaned over the fence, grinning. “Oh, look, there’s piranha!” 

“One of Pinky’s suggestions,” William chuckled. 

“Pinky?” Salazar asked.

“One of the children’s companions,” Angelina said with a bright smile. “He’s very creative.”

“...No doubt, Your Majesty.”

The track was highly unusual, though nothing a toon couldn’t handle. The prize however, was normal; a trophy, some money, and the usual flower-crown and necklace. They were toon-flowers, so they’d last much longer than usual and came in a bright variety of colours.

Salazar was still eyeing the track warily. William was petty enough to admit he enjoyed the man’s discomfort.

  
  
  
  
  
  


The royal box was absolutely massive, even bigger than usual; they’d had to put together a bigger one to accommodate all the visitors and their various companions and entourages. 

Dot fidgeted as they waited for the race to start. Looking uncomfortable she gave a quick, “Be right back,” and hurried off.

“That’s one hell of a track,” Lady Darcy said with an approving grin. She leaned forward from her place behind Yakko, putting her head between Wakko and Yakko. “Look at the size of those axes!”

“It seems dreadfully dangerous,” Princess Sylvia said.

“Not for toons,” Darcy said, waving her hand in dismissal. “You watch, they’ll be fine.”

“This must have taken ages to finish,” Lady Lucy said, eyeing it all curiously.

“Weeks of nonstop work,” Yakko told her, grinning. “I’m still surprised Plotz offered.”

“Well, it’s an honour to host the royal family, is it not?” Sylvia said. “He should be proud.”

Yakko glanced at her, lips pursed, then shrugged. It was a harmless comment, he supposed; no toon-hate to be found really. “It’s Plotz,” he said. “He’s not normally into races.”

PJ, sitting next to Max, was already biting at his nails in anxiety. Yakko eyed him warily, wondering if he should offer the guy a paper bag.

The racers were in position and Yakko frowned, looking at the curtain to the box. Where was Dot? For once he couldn’t just go racing after her, this whole thing was _for_ him.

Then Wakko gasped and slapped his arm, pointing at the racers.

Yakko looked and grinned.

There was a tiny racer right at the end of the line, on a bright pink unicorn with a golden horn and blue eyes. The racer had their hat pulled right down over their forehead, and a cape covering most of their outfit- but Yakko could see the tips of their ears and the tell-tale shape of their tail. He could see their bright red nose, and the flower on their hat.

His little sister was off like a shot when the gun went off, her unicorn leaving rainbow sparkles in its wake.

Yakko and Wakko stood, cheering and clapping.

“Go, go, go!” Yakko shouted, punching his fist in the air. Out of their guests, Max was the first one to realise what was really going on.

_“No way!”_ Max stood, gripping the railing. He laughed and said, “Is that your sister?”

“Surely not!” Princess Sylvia cried.

Darcy whooped in glee, joining them in standing. “Look at her go!” she laughed. 

PJ covered his eyes with his hands, and immediately peeked through the gaps in his fingers. Lucy was gripping his arm, eyes wide as the racers came to the first hurdle: the first pond of vicious piranha. 

“Mom and Dad will get a hoot out of this!” Yakko said, smiling so wide it hurt. Wakko summoned a little Warnerstock flag and waved it, shouting their sister’s name at the top of his lungs- a rare feat if ever there was one.

Dot must have heard them, because she blew them a kiss, waving.

_“Eyes on the track, young lady!”_ William shouted.

Even from the box, Yakko could hear Dot laugh.

The next hurdle was a wall- a wall nearly as tall as the palace walls. Some racers’ horses, being toons, could climb the wall like cats. Others did gigantic jumps and landed light as feathers. One eager racer ploughed straight through the wall like it was paper.

But Dot? She nudged her unicorn on faster, leaning forward, her cape billowing behind her. Yakko leaned forward, watching eagerly. His baby sister didn’t disappoint: her unicorn _grew wings._ They were massive, soft-blue wings that matched its eyes; the rainbow sparkles in its wake became an entire rainbow arching over the dirt where its feet hit and up into the air as the unicorn- as the _pegasus-_ soared into the air and flew over the wall.

Darcy threw her arms into the air and screamed, “GO, PRINCESS, GO!”

Lucy gave a startled laugh, pointing at the pegasus. “My goodness, where did she find him?”

“Knowing Dot?” Yakko beamed with pride, unable to look away. “She probably just shouted for him and he appeared.”

“She’s _brilliant,_ ” Max said. “PJ, look at this!”

“She’s gonna fall,” PJ said, covering his eyes for real now. “She’s gonna fall and break her neck.”

Yakko’s grin was sharp. Like Wakko, he summoned a Warnerstock flag and waved it proudly. “Never,” he said.

  
  
  
  
  
  


The way Dot saw it, it only made sense. This was all meant to be for her brother, right? This whole week, all these events, they were meant to be for Yakko. These racers had all eagerly put their names forward; it was a chance to show off to the royal family, to have a moment of fame. If you won, you could proudly say you had raced in the Crown Prince’s honour.

And who better to race for her brother, to win for her big brother, than _her?_

This was all meant to be for Yakko and she wanted him to have _fun._ She knew he’d have fun with her and Wakko. Dot knew her brother like she knew her own mind, and she’d known as soon as all the planning began that Yakko wouldn’t like people _pretending_ to like him, or to kick up a fuss about his so-called honour.

Dot liked him. She loved him. She wanted, simply, for her big brother to have a good birthday week. Forget the stupid suitors and politics; _this_ was the type of stuff they all enjoyed. This was the type of trick that had both of her brothers screaming for her to win. Her parents cried her name, cheering her on. Yakko screamed and cheered for her so loudly that Dot was sure they’d hear him in the town square, and she urged her pegasus on, grinning.

She soared through the ring of fire, her pegasus racing ahead of the others. A rainbow streamed behind them as they flew. They dodged in and out of the swinging axes, they jumped over hurdles and boxes of lit dynamite and flew over craters and ponds filled with piranha, and another with a single giant shark that tried to swallow the racers whole. 

Dot laughed in triumph as they reached the finish line first.

Confetti flew out of cannons and sparklers went off as the crowd cheered for her. Their oh-so fancy guests gasped and clapped, calling her name. She could see Pinky jumping up and down, and Brain clapped with all the rest. Even that boring Anvilanian prince was on his feet, cheering.

Dot gave them all her best gracious wave, her head held high, giving them her cutest smile. A princess through and through.

It was down to Angelina and William to present her with her prizes.

“You,” William told her with a smile. “Are a trouble-maker through and through.”

“But I’m cute,” Dot said, smiling sweet. “So it’s okay.”

Angelina laughed and placed the flower-necklace around her neck, the flower-crown on her head. Dot held the pouch of money with one hand and the trophy with the other.

“I think that’s enough of an allowance for the month,” Angelina said, nodding at the pouch. “What were you thinking?”

“That Yakko would enjoy it,” Dot said honestly. Angelina’s smile softened; William nodded in silent agreement and Dot jumped back onto the pegasus, leading him over to the royal box.

The flowers were lavender and blue; she knew who’d like them best.

“That was _brilliant,_ Dot!” Yakko said, beaming at her, stars in his eyes. Wakko’s tail wagged as he smiled at her, leaning over the railing.

Dot ignored everyone else’s comments and compliments, and focussed on her brothers. Smiling, she slipped the flower crown onto Yakko’s head and the necklace around Wakko’s neck.

“For the honour of the princes,” Dot said, mimicking Plotz’s snooty voice, nose in the air. She grinned when Yakko laughed. Wakko squeezed her hand, eyes shining.

“You’re the cutest little champion a prince could ask for,” Yakko said, kissing her cheek. “Thanks, Dot.”

  
  
  
  
  
  


As Dot did her (much calmer) victory lap, Max turned to Yakko, unable to keep quiet.

“That,” he said with utmost seriousness. “Was amazing. Your _sister’s_ amazing.”

Yakko touched the flower-crown; everything about him seemed softer, almost glowing as he watched his little sister. Wakko was still waving his little flag.

Yakko turned to him and, for the first time, kindly, _genuinely_ smiled at him.

“Yeah,” he agreed softly. “She is.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Dot riding a pegasus in the Olympics was one of my favourite things in the reboot  
> The focus may have been on the siblings this time, but Max certainly just said the right thing 😉
> 
> Up next: Wakko and Dot start to get Ideas™ about Yakko and Max 👀👀


	6. The Name of The Game

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Wakko and Dot observe Yakko and Max.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The sibs are getting Ideas™

_“I was an impossible case, no-one ever could reach me, but I think I can see in your face there's a lot you can teach me. So, I wanna know, what's the name of the game?”_ \- The Name Of The Game, ABBA

  
  
  


Wakko wasn’t stupid, nor were Yakko and Dot. Liking to have fun didn’t make them stupid; they were actually very clever. Honestly, Wakko thought they were pretty obvious. They could ramble off facts about the world, life, history and philosophy; they could write songs on the spot and figure out difficult problems within minutes.

Scratchy once called them “lazy-crazy geniuses.” Wakko guessed that was a good enough description. They were all clever, but didn’t really _care_ about being clever. They liked being _funny_ a whole lot more.

They weren’t stupid. They weren’t oblivious.

So Wakko saw that Max Goof no longer glared at Yakko or tensed whenever Yakko passed. When Yakko threw a jibe his way, Max responded in kind and Yakko seemed to _prefer_ that. Well, Yakko did always say it wasn’t fun if their special friend couldn’t (or wouldn’t) fight back.

Wakko knew that Yakko wanted this whole week to be fun, to be one big game. It was his birthday week, so it was only fair. Besides, Wakko didn’t care about politics and everyone kept saying this was all a _formality_ and Yakko wasn’t _seriously_ supposed to find a partner just yet, but…

Well, Max was probably Wakko’s favourite so far. He really liked Darcy and Lucy, but Max was _fun._ Fun to mess with and he’d been the first to realise Dot had joined the race.

Wakko had heard what Max said; that Dot was amazing, what she’d done was amazing. He agreed wholeheartedly and so did Yakko.

Clearly. Because Yakko _smiled_ at Max, the flower-crown slipping down his forehead and- 

_Oh,_ Wakko thought. Max was smiling right back, looking genuinely friendly, the friendliest he’d looked since he got here.

Slowly, Wakko smirked. Maybe Max wasn’t such a stick in the mud after all.

  
  
  
  
  
  


After the race, the rest of the day was more relaxed. Most of the gossip was now centred around Dot and her victory. Yakko’s little sister stood in a crowd of admirers, preening under their praise. 

He shook his head with a smile. Typical Dot. He wouldn’t have it any other way.

There were no big dances planned for the evening, no stuffy formal luncheon in the palace. Instead, there was a much more relaxed buffet outside in the gardens. Yakko stood with Wakko, watching Dot with amusement. Wakko still had his flower-necklace and Yakko still had his flower-crown.

“Your sister was brilliant,” said Prince Henry of Anvilania. He’d been dreadfully boring until now; now his eyes shone with amusement and he’d been cheering with the rest of them.

“Too right,” Yakko said proudly. Wakko was stuffing his face with cupcakes, but he paused to nod enthusiastically.

“Do you ride?” Henry asked.

It took every ounce of Yakko’s restraint to not shout, _“Goodnight everybody!”_ Wakko smirked at him and Yakko fought to hold back the laughter bubbling in his chest.

“I do,” he told Henry, lips twitching.

“Perhaps we could go horse-riding tomorrow?” Henry asked. “Schedule permitting, of course, and with your escorts.”

Yakko _did_ enjoy horse-riding. And little did Henry know that Yakko had a habit of giving any and all escorts or guards the slip and riding like the wind with his siblings.

Speaking of…

“And with my siblings,” Yakko said. Henry glanced at Wakko, then across the garden at Dot. He looked to his cousin the Duke, who was staring at them. He turned back to Yakko and nodded.

“It’s a date,” Henry said.

Wakko snorted and chugged some lemonade. Yakko raised an eyebrow, smirking.

“Is it?” he asked.

Henry seemed to realised what he’d said, because he went bright red. “Well, of course not like- like _that,_ I simply- hm...” He ran a hand through his hair. “I look forward to it, Your Grace.” He bowed and quickly excused himself.

“He’s easy to freak out,” Wakko said.

“Very,” Yakko agreed. “He squirms like a worm on a hook.”

“A charming comparison, my young friend,” came Brain’s voice. He and Pinky stood by Yakko’s feet. Pinky was nibbling on the remains of a cookie.

Smiling, Yakko leaned down and placed them on his shoulders.

“I’m chock-full of charm,” Yakko said in his best ‘posh’ voice, nose in the air. 

“Of course,” Brain said. “You are the epitome of grace and charm.”

“Prince Yakko?”

Yakko bit back a groan and turned to Princess Sylvia. Her hair was elaborately braided; a diamond brooch shone on her chest and her necklace had a clock pendant. She looked pretty but, as always, there was a strained edge to her smile when she looked at him, a forced cheer in her eyes.

“Princess Sylvia,” he acknowledged. 

Her eyes flickered to Wakko, still packing away the snacks. Her eyebrows rose and she looked absolutely baffled when she looked at Pinky and Brain.

“I was hoping to speak with you,” she said. She gave Wakko, Pinky and Brain another wary glance and said, “Alone, if possible?”

Yakko frowned, though he knew he’d avoided her long enough. Any more and Salazar could easily complain to Yakko’s parents about the treatment of his cousin.

He placed Brain and Pinky onto the table. Wakko chewed more slowly, eyes narrowed in distrust. Brain frowned heavily and Pinky simply looked nervous.

Yakko did his best to show no emotion at all; he wasn’t very good at it, it wasn’t natural to him, but he tried to turn his face into a calm, polite mask.

“Sure thing,” he said. “Lead the way.”

  
  
  
  
  
  


She only led them a few paces away, closer to the trees. 

“I’m aware our countries do not get along,” she said right away. “And I am aware of my...reputation. And of yours.”

“Right,” Yakko said. “What about it?”

Sylvia pursed her lips. “I want what is best for my country,” she said. “For my people. Reputations are doing neither of us favours. So, I propose a truce.”

“A truce?” Yakko repeated.

She nodded. “We are royalty,” she said. “A new generation. I will be Queen of Ticktockia and you will be King of Warnerstock one day. We ought to at least get along.”

For a moment, rare as it was, Yakko didn’t know what to say. He stood there, hands clasped behind his back, considering her words.

He believed her when she said she wanted what was best for Ticktockia. But what exactly _was_ best for Ticktockia, Yakko couldn’t be sure. He didn’t remember much of William’s illness, but he remembered the rumours of war on the horizon, all thanks to King Salazar.

Yakko wasn’t stupid enough to trust her based on a few pretty words. He was skilled at talking to get his way too after all.

But she didn’t need to know that.

So he smiled and adjusted the flower-crown. 

“Truce,” he said with a shrug.

Smiling, Sylvia curtsied.

“Have a good day, Prince Yakko,” she said and left, heading towards Salazar. The King was frowning at Yakko. Yakko thumbed his ears at him, grinning outright at the scandalised look on Salazar’s face.

Yakko was making his way back to Wakko when a warm hand grabbed his arm.

“You okay?” Max asked. “I saw Sylvia, I wasn’t sure if I should jump in or not.”

Would surprises never stop today? Yakko looked at him in surprise. He grinned. “She says she wants a truce,” Yakko told him. “I smell a rat.”

Max nodded, glancing towards Sylvia, biting his lip. “Yeah, no kidding,” he said. “She hates toons.”

Yakko looked at Max’s hand, still clasping his arm. He took in the Utterly Serious look on Max’s face and his grin widened.

“What, you were coming to play white knight?” he asked, winking.

Max scoffed, letting him go- but he grinned right back. “As if _you_ need a knight!” he laughed. 

Despite himself, Yakko’s mischievous grin softened into something real.

_As if_ you _need a knight._ Max had no idea just how right he was- and yet, Yakko appreciated it. He was surrounded by protective, fussing staff every day. People took one look at him, tiny as he was, and assumed he was weak. Yakko was much smaller than Max, only standing as tall as the other toon’s chin (and he’d admit that grated on his nerves) and Max admitted that Yakko could handle himself.

Damn if Yakko would tell him any of this.

“I could send an army running in terror,” he told Max with mock solemnity. “Just give me a gag-bag and five minutes.”

“You’re a brat,” Max said, but he was still smiling.

“And you’re a stick in the mud,” Yakko said cheerfully. He brushed past Max, his arm grazing Max’s. He paused and glanced back. “But thanks.”

He didn’t wait for Max to respond; he hurried back to Wakko’s side.

  
  
  
  
  
  


Dot was making her way to her Wakko when she spotted Princess Sylvia talking to Yakko. Growling under her breath, Dot began to storm over, but the Princess walked away without incident and Yakko didn’t look too annoyed.

And then Max Goof caught her brother’s arm. 

Dot wasn’t dumb. She loved a good sappy romance novel; she could quote romantic plays by heart, if only to annoy Wakko. They all three loved fairytales. 

Max wasn’t looking at Yakko like he was a total pest anymore. There was something _different._ Not _fond_ exactly, but...Impressed? Amused? Maybe a bit of both.

Whatever Max said had Yakko smiling brightly.

_Well, well, well,_ Dot thought, hands on her hips. _What have we here?_

Dot had never known Yakko to let a special friend off the hook without public humiliation, but her brother was smiling, and Max was smiling and-

_Oh,_ she thought. Her eyes narrowed and she rushed to Wakko, Pinky and Brain.

“You saw that, right?” she asked as Yakko walked towards them. She watched Max Goof and the smile on his face, the new gleam in his eyes as he watched her big brother walk away. Yakko glanced back at him.

“But thanks,” she heard Yakko say.

Max’s smile widened. He rubbed the back of his neck, still watching Yakko. It wasn’t until his dad joined him that Max shook himself out of it, scowling at the ground as though embarrassed to be caught enjoying himself.

“I saw _that,_ ” Wakko agreed.

“Most interesting,” Brain said, rubbing his chin. 

“What was that?” Dot demanded when Yakko joined them.

“What was what?” Yakko asked. He grabbed one of the miniature sandwiches, leaning casually against the table.

_“That!”_ Dot cried, gesturing towards Max with both arms. “You didn’t mallet him!”

Yakko looked at Max. He popped the sandwich into his mouth and shrugged. He took his sweet time eating it and Dot tapped her foot impatiently.

Just as she was about to pull out her own mallet, Yakko spoke up.

“We’ve got a truce.”

A truce? _A truce?_ Yakko Warner did not agree to truces. He was all or nothing. He once pretended he hadn't broken his arm for a whole hour in order to continue a prank war.

When Dot tore her confused gaze away from Yakko, she once more caught Max looking at him. He had a funny look on his face, like Yakko was a particularly confusing puzzle, one he couldn’t figure out.

“A truce,” Dot repeated. She looked at Wakko and they both grinned in silent agreement. “Sure thing, Yak.”

Yakko’s eyes narrowed. “What are you planning, sibs?” he demanded.

“Nothing,” Dot said sweetly, crossing her fingers behind her back. “We just want you to have a good time.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Do you believe Sylvia?  
> Up next, we get to know the suitors some more. Yakko and Max break the ice


	7. Prince Henry of Anvilania

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's a day essentially planned by the suitors, a chance for Yakko to (supposedly) get to know them. First up is Prince Henry of Anvilania, who may not be so boring after all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In which we get to know Prince Henry a little bit. The Warners may have a new ally

__

_“That's where I'm gonna be, because I wanna be. No, I don't wanna sit still, look pretty.”_ \- Sit Still Look Pretty, Daya

  
  
  


The day’s schedule had all been planned: the Warners would have a private breakfast as a family and, while any ambassadors or escorts or dignitaries made nice with William and Angelina, Yakko was expected to get to know his so-called suitors. It was, in theory, meant to be a relaxed day, but it promised to be a day of non-stop movement, constantly rushing around to get to the next person on schedule.

It was one of those days where the activity was chosen by the respective suitor. For Yakko to _get to know them,_ or whatever. In theory they were meant to pick something they enjoyed. Yakko was also pretty sure some of them would just choose something they expected him to like and spend the day lying through their teeth.

He made a brief list in his head: he liked Lucy and Darcy. Lucy was shy and sweet and surprisingly witty. Darcy was loud and opinionated, constantly cracking jokes. He wouldn’t mind spending the day with them; he already considered them friends.

Prince Henry was...Okay. He’d seemed dreadfully boring and stuffy at first, but he’d also been impressed by Dot’s little display at the race, so who was to say really? He could surprise Yakko after all.

Max was Max. He was fun (and far too easy) to rile up. He was Mr Stick In The Mud, but he was also quite friendly when the mood suited him. If he didn’t spend so much time scowling and trying to be cool, he might actually be fun. 

There was Sylvia. Yakko didn’t trust her yet. He wondered if he ever would. If she was sincere, then good for her. If not…

Well, expecting the worst wasn’t gonna do Yakko any favours. As for the others, Yakko didn’t really care one way or another. They mostly tried flattering him (or rather, his parents), or spoke to him like he was a particularly dim child, or watched him warily like he was a bomb about to explode.

Not exactly Yakko’s idea of a good time.

At least Wakko, Dot, Pinky and Brain would be with him the whole time. “For propriety's sake,” Angelina had said, unable to keep from giggling just like Yakko.

He was just getting out of bed when there was a knock on his door and Pinky’s cheerful voice called out, “Yoo-hoo! Yakko! Yakko, Yakky-Yak!”

“I’m coming!” Yakko called, rushing over. He opened the door and looked down; Pinky stood at his feet, balancing a present over his head. It was a bit bigger than Yakko’s hand, wrapped in red paper with a gold ribbon.

_Ticktockia colours,_ he recognised right away.

“Where’d you get that?” Yakko asked, bending down to take it.

“Narf! One of Princess Sylvia’s ladies gave it to me,” Pinky said. If he noticed how Yakko tensed and frowned at the little present, he didn’t comment.

Half-expecting a bomb (and Yakko had plenty of experience there), Yakko unwrapped it. Inside the little box, cradled by purple paper, was a pocket watch on a glittering chain. It was white-gold, studded with diamonds shaped to form a _W,_ engraved with tiny suns and moons. Inside the box was a note.

Yakko unfolded it and read it. The note merely read _“To better times.”_ It was signed by Sylvia.

Frowning more than ever, Yakko set it on his desk. He stood with his hands on his hips, staring at it. It didn’t vanish and it didn’t blow up. He wasn’t dreaming, so it stood to reason that Sylvia had _actually_ sent him a gift.

Pinky climbed up onto the table to look at it. “Oh, that’s shiny!” he said happily, but when he saw the note, even he looked concerned. “Uh...That’s nice of her.”

“Maybe,” Yakko said. The pocket-watch still hadn’t blown up. “And maybe not.”

“You think she’s lying?” Pinky asked.

Yakko nodded. He put the lid back on the box and went to his wardrobe. “Guess we’ll see,” he said. “But I’m not gonna spend the day worrying about her.” Because the thing was, there was no way Sylvia could have had that made in less than a day, not unless she employed toons- which she didn’t.

So that pocket-watch had to have been commissioned some time ago. 

No, Yakko didn’t trust her. Not yet. Maybe not ever.

But he could play along for now.

  
  
  
  
  
  


Prince Henry and one of his guards stood by the stables, watching as Yakko approached with his siblings. Brain sat on his shoulder, while Pinky sat on Wakko’s head, lounging across his hat. Two guards trailing behind, keeping a respectful distance.

“Prince Yakko,” Henry said, bowing. “It’s good to see you.”

Yakko returned the bow, turning as a servant brought the horses out. “You too,” he said, and it wasn’t a total lie this time. Would wonders never cease?

The horse-riding started off tame. Just trotting through a nearby park; the guards rode behind them. Henry kept a steady pace with the Warner siblings, his red hair gleaming when the sun hit it, casting some strands in gold.

He was quiet at first; he kept opening his mouth like he was about to speak, but he never did. The silence was starting to become excruciating. Yakko was actually starting to think he might welcome conversations about the weather, when Prince Henry finally spoke up.

“Princess Dot, may I ask where you got that pegasus?”

Dot grinned, eyes sparkling. “A girl has her ways.”

Henry shook his head, but he was smiling a little. “And you, Prince Yakko? Have you ever raced?”

“We all have,” Yakko said. He grinned at Dot proudly. “But not quite like _that._ ”

“Oh? How would you usually race then?”

The Warners grinned sharply.

“Like this!” Yakko said cheerfully. In a flash, the three of them raced ahead, kicking up dust in their wake. Yakko heard one of their guards swear, while another simply groaned in defeat. Henry’s made a strangled noise, an odd sort of gurgle.

_“Your Highness!”_ Prince Henry cried in shock- but he surprised Yakko by rushing after them. Yakko glanced back to see Henry quickly gaining on them; he looked utterly determined and serious, as if it was an important competition.

In moments, Henry caught up with them. The four of them raced across the park, over the hills and past the ponds. Deer scattered, citizens cried out in surprise and jumped out of the way. Many more simply pointed and gaped.

“So,” Henry said with that grimly determined expression still on his face. “This is how you race?”

“Pretty often,” Yakko said, laughing. With a whoop, Wakko jumped over the next hill, taking the lead. Dot hurled a pie after him, but Wakko twisted around in his saddle and swallowed it whole, waving at her as he raced ahead.

The funny thing about Henry was that he still looked so _serious_ when he said, “This is fun.”

Yakko would take that as a victory.

  
  
  
  
  
  


Their fur was windswept and Henry’s hair stood on end as they returned to the stables in the early afternoon. Dust clung to their clothes, and a mud had spattered across Wakko’s trousers when Dot yanked him off the saddle at the end of the race. 

She was never the most graceful of losers. 

Wakko, never one to take things lying down, had promptly dragged Dot into the mud with him. When Yakko started laughing they tried to drag him down too, which led to them chasing after his horse as he ran in rings around them, loudly laughing at them. Henry had watched, looking a little bewildered; Pinky had cheered both Wakko and Dot on, while Brain watched quietly, a small smirk on his face. Their guards had been utterly exhausted and fed up.

“This was...interesting,” Henry said as the stable-hands led the horses away to bed cleaned and fed. “Most enlightening.”

_“Enlightening?”_ Yakko repeated, snickering.

“Indeed.” Henry bowed. There was a trace of a smile on his face. “Good day, Your Grace.”

Yakko couldn’t bring himself to say _“Good day”_ but he gave Henry a small bow. “See ya,” he said, wiping at the dirt on his jacket and only succeeding in smearing it.

Henry nodded, bowed to Wakko and Dot and left with his guard. Was it Yakko’s imagination, or did he not look so stiff? 

“He doesn’t walk like he’s got a stick up his butt anymore,” Yakko said, making Dot, Wakko and Pinky laugh.

“Children, please,” Brain sighed. He looked them all over and shook his head. “Come along, we’d better get you cleaned up.”

“Who’s next?” Dot asked.

“Princess Sylvia,” Brain said. “So we’d best be punctual.”

“Or we’d best be late,” Yakko muttered, thinking of the pocket-watch. He’d have to let his parents know about it later.

  
  
  
  
  
  


Yakko sat at his desk, his chin resting on his hands, looking at the watch lying in its little box. He was freshly cleaned and dressed, and Pinky sat on his shoulder.

“Are you gonna wear it?” Pinky asked.

“Nah,” Yakko said. He left it where it was, heading next door to Wakko’s room. “But I’m gonna show Mom and Dad.”

“She said she wants to be friends, right?”

“She said she wants a _truce,_ ” Yakko corrected. “That’s not the same thing.”

Well, he was about to go downstairs to meet up with Sylvia. If nothing else, it may be an opportunity to figure out if she was sincere.

  
 _Oh great,_ Yakko thought. _It’s politics after all._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next up, Sylvia and Max (along with Wakko and Dot starting to "help" 😉)

**Author's Note:**

> Pun unintended, but Max, you done goofed


End file.
